Tampa plunges to homophobic depths

Hillsborough County Commissioner Ronda Storms, another conservative obsessed with matters sexual, has seen to it that her county, which includes Tampa, Florida, no longer supports gay pride events. A gay pride display at Tampa's West Gate Regional Library upset some library patrons. The exhibit, set up by a University of South Florida graduate student, was about gay authors, and it also included some pamphlets with information about counseling resources for adolescents who are confused about their sexuality. Storms was able to convince the commission to pass an ordinance prohibiting the county from promoting any gay pride event.

She says she was "troubled" by the pamphlet because --wait for it--"they referred children to youth groups outside Hillsborough County to explore their sexuality," and doing so could lead them to engage "in high-risk behavior."

Here's a high-risk behavior for you, Ronda--suicide. Gay adolescents are two to three times more likely to commit suicide than other teens. Why? Because of people like you, Ronda. When the family, the church, and the community tell children and adolescents that a fundamental part of them is sick, evil, or both, and then denies them the services they need to learn how to cope, it is an invitation to both active and passive suicidal behavior.

Shame on Hillsborough County. Deliberate ignorance is a sin, not something to flaunt in public.